阅读经文 

我小心翼翼地走进她的房间；这位年老的病人躺在那里，被子紧紧地裹着她的身体，直裹到她的下巴，她柔软的白发像光环那样围绕着她苍白的脸、与白色的枕头色调甚为协调。她睁开眼睛，柔弱地微笑表示谢意，亲切的脸孔现出皱纹来。

我坐在她的床边，我们谈话时，她从被子下面伸出手来让我握着，我们坦诚地倾谈，我们都知道，她离世的日子已近了。我告诉她，看到她如此虚弱，又知道她快要离开我们了，我感到很难过。我含着泪对她说：“我将会怀念你的。”她转过脸来对着我、虚弱但又清楚地回应：“不过，我是不会怀念你的。”

她是否在贬低我呢？不是，她乃是在深切地表达她真诚的信心。她深信使徒保罗在今天的经文中所说的：“离世与基督同在……是好得无比的。”她知道，当死亡临到时，她便会与基督同在了，那时她的状况，将会比她现在经历的虚弱、倚赖、难受和痛苦好得多。因她活着就是基督，她死了就有益处。

我带着一颗温暖的心离开她的房间。我看见了真诚的信心，在那位虚弱的神的女儿身上，我看到了力量。

没有什么能够使我们与神的爱隔绝，我们属于祂，这是何等美好啊！这是真的：等待着我们的将会比现在更好——肯定是好得无比的。

I cautiously entered her room; there the elderly patient lay, quilt tucked up near her chin. Silky white hair haloed her pale face, blending into the white pillow. She opened her eyes. A weak smile of recognition wrinkled her warm face.

As I sat near her bed, she lifted her hand from under the quilt for me to hold as we chatted. It was honest talk. We both knew it: she was nearing her death. I told her that I was sad that she was so weak and frail, that she was going to leave us soon. Through tears I said, "I am going to miss you." Turning her face toward me, she responded weakly but clearly, "I won't miss you, though."

Was that a putdown? No, it was a deep expression of sincere faith. She believed what the apostle Paul wrote in our text for today: "to depart and be with Christ . . . is better by far." She knew that when death came, she was going to be with the Lord. Her condition would then be far better than the weakness, dependence, sadness, and pain she presently experienced. For her to live was Christ, so for her to die would be gain.

With a warm heart I left her room. I had seen faith. I had seen strength in that very weak and frail child of God.

How good to belong to God, from whose love nothing can separate us! It's true: what awaits us is better—yes, better by far.